Greg Jennings: None of us know if Ryan Tannehill has it or not

Posted by Josh Alper on February 17, 2016, 6:11 PM EST

AP

The Dolphins will get $4 million in cap space if they part ways with wide receiver Greg Jennings this offseason, something that seems like a prudent course of action after Jennings had 19 catches during his first season with the team.

If Jennings is on his way out, he’s not holding his tongue when it comes to quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the team’s offense. Jennings said last week that the Dolphins haven’t let Tannehill grow as a quarterback during his first four seasons in Miami. Jennings repeated that observation during a Wednesday appearance on ESPN, pointing out that Tannehill wasn’t given freedom to check out of plays or do the things “a great quarterback will have the opportunity to do.”

That made for an obvious question about how close Jennings thinks Tannehill is to being considered an elite quarterback.

“I don’t know. I guess what I’m saying is he’s far [from elite],” Jennings said. “I’m being honest. None of us know. I’ve made the statements about them babying him thus far throughout his career. It’s like he’s been handcuffed. I’ve played with Brett [Favre], I’ve played with Aaron [Rodgers]. I’ve played with great quarterbacks. So you can assess, you can quickly tell if one has it or not. It’s been difficult for me to even tell if he has it or not because he hasn’t been given liberty.”

Quarterbacks that don’t have the trust of their coaches aren’t going to be given the kind of liberty to run the offense that Jennings is talking about, which is part of the reason why there’s a new coaching staff in Miami for the 2016 season. Should their efforts fail to get better results, the next change for the team could well be to exercise their ability to back out of Tannehill’s contract and find a quarterback that inspires more faith.

Maybe he’s been handcuffed because the coaches know he doesn’t have it. I suppose they may not have been able to get it out of him if he indeed does have it. Most QBs who have it, tend not to need someone to get it out of them.

With that being said, I was hoping Jennings would bury Ponder or Cassel, but then again that is like beating a dead horse.

What Gregg, no mention of Christian Ponder, remember when you said that he had the same qualities as Aaron Rodgers? Must be tough, remembering you could have Played with Aaron the last 2 yrs for slightly less money, and now your on your way out of your second team in two years.

Actually for not having any type of offensive line the last two years the kid do not do half bad. Get him some sort of decent Oline and take the handcuffs off and see what happens. It can’t be any worse then it is down there.

Philbin and his staff ruined Ryan’s career thus far. He has the talent, he’s made some amazing plays, beaten great qb’s with an average defense and terrible o line, he holds a nfl record, you don’t break records without talent. He didn’t have the experience that his peers have had coming out of college, he was still learning and unfortunately he didn’t have coaches who could get the most out of him.

youknowiknowitall says:Feb 17, 2016 6:49 PM

he’s made some amazing plays, beaten great qb’s …

… but has he beaten great defenses? No, he hasn’t.

intrafinesse says:Feb 17, 2016 7:01 PM

As a Jets fan I get to see him twice a year. Tannehill has improved and makes some nice plays, despite having a poor Oline. He also makes some bad ones.
It will be interesting to see how he does with better coaching (you Fins fans hope).

Even if he doesn’t progress, it’s not like he sucks. He’s way better than Mark Sanchez or Geno Smith. I’d be happy to have him at QB if I was a team that needed a QB. He may not elevate the team that much, but net-net he isn’t hurting the team. And he may improve.

Given what QBs are paid these days, I think the contract Miami gave him was reasonable. He has upside, and is at least a Tier 2 QB as he currently is.

(Now as a Jets fan I have to root against him, and hope he doesn’t improve, but I’d rather have him than Ryan Fitzpatrick – younger with more upside)

shlort says:Feb 17, 2016 7:02 PM

Greg could have had a hall of fame career had he stayed in Green Bay. He blew it by being greedy. I hope he thinks the couple more million he maybe made was worth being looked at as mediocre for his career.

He’s thrown for 4,000 yards the past two seasons and is better than 2-to-1 TDs to interceptions over that span. And he managed that while enduring 91 sacks. It’s rather remarkable the guy can still walk, let alone put up decent numbers. Give him a line and then maybe we can judge how good he can actually be.

How would Jennings know? He doesn’t sound too bright running his mouth like that. Tannehill looks like a QB that’s going to get a few coaches fired before they eventually figure out the guy doesn’t have it. He’ll have a good game here and there, and he’ll put together some good highlights, but he’s really just good enough to get you beat. He does have talent. JaMarcus Russell and Jeff George had tons of talent. It’s the QBs with the “talent” that get the coaches fired. The kind of talent you need to win is the kind that’s between your ears and inside your chest. Tannehill hasn’t shown me that kind of talent.

Packer fans will never admit it but Jennings would have been great to have in GB this year. Good player, great teammate. But Packers chose to let him walk.
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Packers fan here. He probably would have made a difference this year. He probably could have provided a familiar target that Rodgers was already comfortable with.

That being said, they were able to get James Jones to fill that role quite successfully anyway and the young guys will definitely benefit from the additional playing time they got going into next year.

ravensfan56 says:
Feb 17, 2016 6:39 PM
Most overrated QB in the league, and he makes fun of practice squad players.
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Really. Last year he had a better passer rating than Flaco, Bridgewater, Fitzpatrick, Winston, Luck, and Manning. He also was sacked more than double of what Flacco, and it was also a down year for Tannehill. I see a lot of more overrated QB’s on this list of those he did better than.

Finally, he had issue with one defensive player who didn’t know the purpose of a “walk through practice” is, apparently, much like yourself.

Tannehill’s stats are pretty good over the last 2 years, but they are sort of inflated because:

1. they pass so much
2. they are always behind going into the 2nd half

That’s been the theme under Joe Philbin really since he was hired by Miami.

Tannehill just has no time though. It really seems like he’ll never get a fair shake to show what he can do, atleast in miami. the offensive line is just so bad, and considering the amount of resources the team has into it over the last decade, its really discouraging for all of the fans.

Atleast we know by the amount of resources they put towards the OL that someone in the front office sees what an issue it is.

Miami’s biggest issue since Tannehill was drafted though: Kicking.

Check the stats. Check the lost games, the score differential, and if there was a missed kick or 2 in those games, and i mean 40 yards or less. TOO MANY games lost by 3 points or less with a missed field goal.

You also have to admit that losing a 2nd round pick OT who was supposed to replace a 1st overrall pick LT to some degree, and a pro bowl OG to that “bully” scandal really hurt the team too. they are still recovering.

He’s thrown for 4,000 yards the past two seasons and is better than 2-to-1 TDs to interceptions over that span. And he managed that while enduring 91 sacks. It’s rather remarkable the guy can still walk, let alone put up decent numbers. Give him a line and then maybe we can judge how good he can actually be.
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Be careful. Sacks are a team stat truly. OL protection, RB blitz pickup, receivers running correct routes and getting open, and THEN the QB making the right read and getting the ball out all come into play. It’s not accurate to blame all sacks on the O-line.

Listen, he’s been through a slew of coaches because he doesn’t have it. You cannot teach pocket awareness or smarts. You either can process info quickly or not. You either sense rushers and slide up and around the pocket or not. They were trying their best to mask this by giving him only a single read and make him throw quickly. The problem with that is the coach HAS to call a perfect play. If anything breaks down RT has shown zero ability to make plays or go through his progressions. I’m banned on the finheaven forums because I pointed these facts out. His fanboys are strong out there because they went out and bought his jersey because they overdrafted him thus fooling the fans that he was a franchise QB and he never will be. Hot wife though and he’s a millionaire so there’s that

Bitter man on his way out not only Miami but the nfl. Enjoy ur retirement bitter old man.

kfoyo808 says:Feb 17, 2016 7:47 PM

I know who doesn’t have it (anymore)…pick up your belongings at the door, Mr. Jennings.

kfoyo808 says:Feb 17, 2016 7:51 PM

beware of stats…those are the same people that want to keep Sam Bradford as Eagles QB. Bill Lazar…was product of Chip’s O. Ran that O. Piled up stats…and not a whole lot else. Stats deceiving…look at the mentality, the make up, the body of work.

right now, his history says he’s good enough to get you to 8-8…anything above .500 is fantasy…doesn’t mean he won’t do it (but I doubt that), the history just isn’t there…Brady probably has less offensive talent than the Fins but, somehow, he gets the team in the playoffs…’nuff said (by a non-Patriot fan)…

Hello, Mr. Tannehill, we noticed your name come up in conversations regarding “It”. We’re a company that specializes in delivering “It”. With a capital ‘I” (that’s our company slogan “It with a capital I”🙂

For a limited time we can deliver “It” to your home at cost, with some shipping and handling charges. “It” comes in liquid or solid form, is easily ingested and has no harmful side effects. You can also roll it up and smoke it like a cigarette. Be the first in your neighborhood to turn heads on the street and have people whisper “There’s just something about that guy, I can’t quite put my finger on… something different, something special”.

The Tannehill fanboys will point to stats made up of garbage time. They will point the Oline, defense and coaches. But they never point the finger at the guy whose water they carry. Despite Tannehill coming up short when playoffs were on the line.

Tip, there’s enough blame to go around. Even to the starting QB who has a losing record and no competition on the team.

Wow he didn’t mention Teddy Bridgewater when he mentioned the great QBs he played with. Wonder what the excuse from the Vikings fans will be. They’ve got thousands of them for Ten Second Teddy’s mediocre play. Football outsiders had him ranked just below Hoyer. Yes, Hoyer. Yet Spielman keeps defending this wasted pick.

In a seriously qb anemic nfl, tannehill is one of about 15 or so good players at his position. He has all the physical talent size, arm, legs and his accuracy improves every year. People need to stop piling on him and start taking a little accountability as to why the phins suck. Jennings you are a joke, shave your paint brush beard if you are gonna become one of the talking hacks on Sunday’s, I mean you could at least look professional. The whole organization is a mess starting from the top. If you look at it, RT is one of the only consistent players they have had the past few years. Yeah he will throw in a few clunkers every year but looking at his oline, inconsistent defense and god awful play calling, it’s to wonder why he hasn’t rg3’d himself out of a starting job by now. Leadership and accountability are the two major things lacking with this franchise and they need this turn the corner. They also really need to nail the draft this year too.

Wow! There are some butt-hurt Packer fans commenting on this thread. Tell you what… Greg will be available very soon if you want to resign him. You might need him next year. Although, methinks Jordy and Jennings are not enough for Aaron to beat the new and improved Vikings. Call Teddy names aka “tiny hands” all you want. The second year pro beat your a$$ at home to win the NFC North!

intrafinesse says:Feb 17, 2016 10:17 PM

I agree. Sacks are highly correlated with QBs. Some QBs
get rid of the ball quickly and dont get sacked despite having a bad OLIne (Tom Brady and Ryan Fitzpatrick).

Some QBs eat a ton of sacks, and they don’t usually improve that much over time.

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skinsdiehard says:
Feb 17, 2016 7:44 PM
He’s thrown for 4,000 yards the past two seasons and is better than 2-to-1 TDs to interceptions over that span. And he managed that while enduring 91 sacks. It’s rather remarkable the guy can still walk, let alone put up decent numbers. Give him a line and then maybe we can judge how good he can actually be.
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Be careful. Sacks are a team stat truly. OL protection, RB blitz pickup, receivers running correct routes and getting open, and THEN the QB making the right read and getting the ball out all come into play. It’s not accurate to blame all sacks on the O-line.

I laugh every time I see this guy mouthing off, because he passed on staying with Rodgers, then passed on Carolina this year for more money in Miami. He’s a dumbass that could’ve had multiple chances at another title(which should make his name value long term a lot more than his short term value ).

Unless you have an elite defense.. QB’s have to fling that ball a long way so that the other team keeps it honest instead of stacking the box. That’s what always impressed with the packers qb or some of the other guys in the league that can fling it.
Periodic big plays or a 50 yard turnover.

Yea Greg, you could have been playing with the NFC North runners up last year but you chased that money to the division champs in Minnesota eho promptly cut you when they realized you were just “another guy that has a job because of Rodgers.”

If Greg had been a 2 team man he could have gone back and forth from Hall of Fame QB’s Farve, Rodgers, then off to Bridgewater, then Back to the Packers for the Hundley 3 Super Bowl Championship Years.

irkjames says:Feb 18, 2016 1:14 AM

If Tannehill doesn’t have a strong season by next year then he won’t even be as good as Jay Cutler’s 2010 season, and the Bears brought in Mike Martz that season.

Honestly, Rodgers needed 5 years to look good. If by this season he can’t lead the team to the playoffs he has no business being a starter in this league.

How many more people need to get fired before we realize we aren’t gonna drunk swigging this bottle of lukewarm water???

I’m a Dolphins fan too. I want nothing more than to see this team win. You honestly need a 5th season??? He is who he is!!! The coaches don’t play. He’s the one on the field missing passes. That’s not on coaches, no matter how poorly the play is designed. Even the “go-go” offense was too complicated for him at times. No offensive scheme is going to help his accuracy. If he’s simply not executing even the most basic offenses why on earth would someone else magically be able to do it after 3 head coaches and 3 offensive coordinators???

Selling out for tv deal. He should know running his mouth publicly will get him cut and cost him 4 million this year. If I was mr Ross I would cut him on air while he’s talking. Then let him discuss that.

jimmysee says:Feb 18, 2016 4:22 AM

Greg Jennings has never been known to “hold his tongue.”

Neither has his sister.

phillyfinsfan says:Feb 18, 2016 6:14 AM

Maybe the team should start up front if they want to see if he can play. Tannehill has been sacked more than any QB in the NFL during his career. Even Tom Lady looks average when he’s under constant pressure.

helldog33 says:Feb 18, 2016 7:48 AM

The local media liked to play up how bright Tannehill is….pre-med biology study in college, maybe would’ve become a doctor if not for football, yap yap yap. His coaches handling of him and some of his on-field decisions paint an entirely different picture.

The Bronco just won a SB title with OL’ noodle arm. The Bears appeared with Sexy Rex. The Ravens won with Dilfer. Interception Eli won 2 SB over Brady. Kaep came within a 109 kickoff return of a victory. Jake freaking Delhomme nearly had a SB win. Just saying if you aren’t in the SB its not only the QB.

You know there is a problem when there were 2 plays where everyone on the offense knew when the snap was coming except for the QB and it results in a safety both times

eaststsfb says:Feb 18, 2016 8:40 AM

Hey purplepillager – “Wide left!!!!!!!”

FinFan68 says:Feb 18, 2016 9:10 AM

I think he is right to a degree. The previous coaching staff were married to their system. They would not allow the QB to improvise at the line. That means he cannot take advantage of any obvious mismatches and I’d forced to run plays that the team knows won’t work as soon as the defense lines up. That naturally causes less than optimal effort on that particular play. Philbin is a micromanage and so is Lazor. I believe they would have run the offense the same no matter who was behind center. They did not want a QB audible to ruin their precious system. I like Tannehill and I think he can be a very good QB. If Favre or Brady had been the QB under these circumstances, they would have audibled anyway, where Tannehill just won’t. I think Gase has to trust him and let him play.

theninerlover says:Feb 18, 2016 9:43 AM

I also agree with Jennings. Tannehill isn’t a guy who can carry a team on his back, but if he had even a half decent team in front of him, I think he could be a top 10 qb.

irishmug says:
Feb 17, 2016 6:26 PM
Packer fans will never admit it but Jennings would have been great to have in GB this year. Good player, great teammate. But Packers chose to let him walk.
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Jennings chose what contract to sign. The Packers’ offer was more than fair. Just shows that Rodgers made him look better than he actually was.

right now, his history says he’s good enough to get you to 8-8…anything above .500 is fantasy…doesn’t mean he won’t do it (but I doubt that), the history just isn’t there…Brady probably has less offensive talent than the Fins but, somehow, he gets the team in the playoffs…’nuff said (by a non-Patriot fan)…
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Brady had the same passer rating and fewer yards than Tannehill in his first 5 yrs (I add the 5th because he only played one game his first year). He was kept afloat by a very good defense and running game early on. In fact, it wasn’t until his 7th year that he had top passer rating and 2nd season over 4000 yards. Being “elite” doesn’t happen overnight.

fanofpft says:Feb 18, 2016 7:50 PM

For speculation sake. If on one hand the coaches didn’t feel he could pick up things on his own. On the other hand he did pick up all he new schemes each coach brought in.

fanofpft says:Feb 18, 2016 8:40 PM

The fact that they don’t allow him to check out of plays and audible tells me that he is not very good at reading defenses or the coaches don’t think he is anyway.

What’s the holdup? Why don’t they trust him? Don’t even try to talk about offensive line because no offense of line was worse than Seattle and Russell Wilson went on a historic run there for 6 games.

While I’ve heard that the sack totals are close in numbers. You have to consider that T-Hills o-line had all starters healthy only 5 times over this last season.